(TNND) — Four out of six crew members are dead after a U.S. military refueling plane crashed in Iraq on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The military said a KC-135 refueling jet was supporting operations in western Iran when it went down at around 2 p.m.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” a post on social media read.
Although the incident occurred in a “friendly airspace,” during Operation Epic Fury, it was not due to “friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.
The identities of the service members will be withheld for the next 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified.
Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., wrote on X that the other plane landed safely in Israel.
The crash came after Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury last week. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft used to refuel other planes in midair, allowing them to travel longer distances and maintain operations longer without landing. The plane is also used to transport wounded personnel during medical evacuations or conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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